CMH vs. LED
Which Grow Light is Best for You?
Grow lights have evolved from heavy magnetic, in-efficient ballasts and bulky reflectors to ultra-efficient dimmable and spectrum tunable Light Emitting Diodes (LED) and Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH) all-in-one fixtures. The modern hobby and commercial cultivator now have the power to dial in spectrums specific to the plant strain they are growing. LED’s offer the tunability to go from a vegetative blue spectrum to a flowering red spectrum with a turn of a knob. CMH’s closely mimic the sun, provide the highest gram per watt, and even provide the coveted good UV wavelengths that fend off mold and mildew as well stimulate plant vigor and greater resin and terpene production. Choosing which technology is right for you depends on the size of your grow, how long you will be growing in the space, and your allocated budget.
The anticipated duration of your cultivation project is one of the most important factors to consider. Choose LED if you plan on keeping the fixtures for more than 5 years as the high upfront initial cost of LED fixtures will be amortized over a longer period of time. LED bulbs last 50,000 hours compared to 20,000 for CMH. If you are planning for obsolescence and want the greatest yield ROI within 1-2-year time frame, choose CMH. And even if you keep your grow space past 5 years, don’t worry, CMH’s provide a greater gram per watt due to their higher PPF and canopy penetration.
Let’s talk about the size of your grow. Because of the lack of overall canopy penetration, you will need to keep your LED lights 12-18” above your canopy. This could be a good thing if your ceiling height is less than 8ft and really need to factor in heat management. If you have a larger and taller space, using CMH technology is a better choice. Increased ceiling height allows for better heat management, better air-flow capability and more even light coverage for fuller and taller flower strains. LED lights put off very little heat and this can be good or bad depending on the size of your grow space and the climate at your facility location. How insulated your space is during winter months is crucial if you are operating in colder climates. Due to the lower heat output of LED’s, heat may need to be added to the grow room in colder months which will increase costs. CMH fixtures put off more heat than LED’s, but less heat than their HPS counterparts. This heat can be utilized to achieve the ideal temperature for your growing methodology, for example, if you are using CO2 injection.
Finally, everyone’s favorite factor to consider, BUDGET! The initial cost of an LED is 2 to 4 times the cost of a comparable CMH fixture. (see Table 1 below) LED fixtures, especially the ones that include the UV spectrum, are very expensive in terms of up-front cost. When it comes to power consumption and the power bill, LED’s only save the grower about 15% on the power bill compared to CMH fixtures. However, the LED grower will use less power for cooling, but that savings depends on other factors in the grow space. The additional cost a CMH grower will realize is replacing bulbs. You will be buying replacement CMH bulbs after 12-18 months of use. In addition, it is recommended that you change between the 4100K CMH bulbs in the vegetative phase to the 3100K CMH bulbs for flowering. Therefore, you will incur the cost of more bulbs utilizing CMH technology, but you will optimize your light cycles and extend the timeframe to replace bulbs.
In conclusion, each technology, CMH and LED, are viable to successful grows however they speak to different methodologies and business initiatives.
Choose CMH if:
- You need to maximize ROI in within 1-2 years
- You need greater canopy penetration for the strains you are growing
- Need the beneficial UV spectrum for maximum terpene resin production
- Need to maximize your gram per watt and flower quality
- Qualify for state rebates
Choose LED if:
- Have a long-term plan with current LED technology
- Need an exact spectrum wavelength to grow a specific strain
- Qualify for state rebates
- Yield quality and quantity are not paramount
22 Responses
What CMH lights would you recommend?
Dimlux 630 with square wave is an excellent start. Very reliable. Check it out on our website here!
Have u tried the 600w cmh that screws into the e40 fitting u can use hps ballast for them it’s a hortivision brand not many Australians know of the bulb still I’ve used them they work quite well they are 3000k.
I have a 315 cmh and I’m going to try auto flower for the first time, can I have my 315 and ran a red LED in addition to the 315? In a 5×5 grow tent
Yeah, you can do that. There is range in which a plant’s needs are best met. Adding more light may help marginally, but don’t expect wonders. Also, keep an eye on temperatures at the canopy. Let us know how it works out!
A 315w cmh is way too small for a 5×5 depending on the quality you want if u want a grade flower u won’t get it if u go the 600w cmh from hortivision that runs on a hps ballast u will do alot better but still you won’t get the 1000par you need around the edges I use a 90x90x200 the to run a 600w cmh with a massive reflector that’s 87×87 that has a cool tube the results are really good.
Tried a 315 cmh for a few runs. It’s better than HPS but for my space, I liked the LED much better. I run UBA/B with my led and it outperformed teh chm. New tech is not always better.
What was the wattage of the led in comparison to the wattage of the CMH?
Good question. We were forced to remove the charts from this article a while back. An LED company was not happy about it… and sent a letter from their lawyer to us.
If I remember right, we were comparing 1000w LEDs to CMH.
K
A 315w cmh is way too small for a 5×5 depending on the quality you want if u want a grade flower u won’t get it if u go the 600w cmh from hortivision that runs on a hps ballast u will do alot better but still you won’t get the 1000par you need around the edges I use a 90x90x200 the to run a 600w cmh with a massive reflector that’s 87×87 that has a cool tube the results are really good.
false… there is no way that CMH gives better results than LED results per true watt. I get better than 3 grams per watt with my LED, and me being a fairly newb grower. CMH can’t touch today’s LEDs. Game over.
I get at least that with a CMH. LEDS need a lot more wattage to compare to lower wattage CMH.
You should get your facts straight before copping such an attitude and calling things false. And what “game” is “over”? We’re all just trying to grow a plant that you might benefit from cause you need to calm your self. You sound like an LED shill.
My exact thoughts. Lol
That’s 100% Bollocks especially if you are truly running comparative wattage. Seen pro gardens under a 3000 dollar led set up running 1000w with added uv get destroyed by a 2x315w focal double end ballast. coverage of the 8 (from memory) led bars for his 3x3m tent covered the canopy fully. The focal cmh sat in the middle and doubled the results and the quality was hugely noticeable. Same drain to waste and same mother. Led are over stated. They work but they are no where near the best. Sun, Cmh or hps for results
@bill Jones while your gram per watt is impressive a experienced grower with the right strain can get that with any of the lights available. I’ve been growing for 20 years and I use leds currently and while they are awesome at saving power etc I get no better gpw with using the leds vs cmh vs hps. For you to state your opinion as fact and say your fairly new shows your lack of experience. Fact is I use a very high priced led to get the same quality and yield I get with a cmh and or hps the difference is my overall cost of running multiple lights. Back to the comment of yield I’ve yielded more with hps and say Santa Cruz blue dream then I have with a solid og kush no matter the light being used genetics play the role as well as experience and quality of lights being used. The info you give is False hope for someone to say hey this amazon led is 100.00 it’ll out perform a 150 vivosun cmh 315 with a Philips bulb and I’m sorry that’ll never happen. Quality leds do yield close to the same as hps and cmh but everything is subject to the basics 1. Grower experience 2. Strain 3. Style (method of growing) 4. Co2 added
Would it be ok to have a cmh 230 watt Eye HID Lamp Ceramic metal halide in the middle of the two 600 watts hps lamps I’m running? I’m 4 weeks into flowering.
Yes, that works. Keep track of canopy temps, and you should be good to go.
led will not produce uvb,in any usable amounts go look lots studies on it,cmh with led is best cmh for the hole in leds spectrum
I’ve in my second run w LEDs ,after using CMH w HPS for a couple years
Growing a strain I’ve grown several times. Same batch of genetics. I’ve learned that LEDs take longer. I budding at 30 days or less w CMH. LEDs – I’m at 5 weeks and bidding has barely started. What’s up? Anyone?
Prolly worked this out in 2 years. But the led system is likely very low quality and lacks any usable spectrum needed for photosynthesis or simply you’re timer wasn’t correct. I.e smtwtfs= 6pm-6am but maybe one of the days has 13 hours or even 18 hours of light. Let me know the issue any how
I like leds for veg and cmh for flower
But also I have to be smart about what strains to grow in summer as it’s very humid where I live , apart from that it’s just obviously better in winter and I’ll usually just grow some big ass haze in summer
I use 630 double end cmh bulbs has anyone compared them to two 315 ? I’m wanting to add a few more lights can’t decide to stick with what I have or go to he smaller ones